The writing prompt for my students was:
**How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?
Broken, but what does that really mean?
Do I just mean empty?
Scared? Bruised?
Fractured?
This is why vocabulary is so important. Just like music, the notes come together and create a melody that you feel.
It moves you.
And then you think, how can I use words to accomplish the same type of transformative experience for my reader?
I am seeking to move somebody’s soul in a way that marks his or her memory.
To be intentional about word choice, and challenge its limitations.
To embody even a fraction of our shared human experiences.
To create sense from chaos.